Mitigating bad choices: two juv silvers purchase

[andyroo]

Dearest fishy-folk,
I could use a little advice/recommendation to get through my hasty nitwit error:

The importer had 4" silvers on the list and I splurged on a pair. They came, they are doing lovely & eating dragonfly nymphs & baby swardtails in the 55. Then one decided to be dominant, as they do. The other now hiding & missing its feeding lunges & now starting to err to skinny. No notable wounds, but some scuffs & a fin threaded - early days, I fear. So, options as I see them:

i) Remove the dominant to the slightly overstocked 100 with surface current. Loaches & mullet daytime active & zamora & am.eels at night, so rarely/never "relaxing" - is this an issue? Add surface bamboo? May also be hard to feed it in there - guppies/swords aren't inexhaustible and cats/eels ravenous, though they prefer their easy-catch kibble. Note: 55 also has angels that compete for the smaller/slower livebreeders.
ii) Remove submissive to the 15gal greenwater windowsill with guppies & shrimp. No filter, but healthy "live" water & easy-grazing "fancy" grub (changed 50% water just now). Sight-hunting might be an issue, unless it's better for sneaking-up?
iii) Remove submissive to a 40gal black HDPE tote with 5" deep of all new clear water, add live-breeders & a few plants and stash in a low-traffic corner. Safe but silly-temporary as would need to be in there until end of August. I suppose that's more surface/living area than the green, and quiet with guppies means he/she'll put on weight.

Thoughts?

Yes, agreed, I really should have waited & bought the #3 in the next shipment, X-months from now.
Dumb... nobody savvy nearby to give away, either.

 

[andyroo]

Scales missing, so I chickened-out & moved her to the windowsill.
I didn't realize that these hierarchical would be/become mortal bullying; thought everything was calm once established. Yes/no?

 

[Fishman Dave]

Think you will find they bully in more confined spaces until>12”.
As for your previous options and concerns.
Mine stayed in fairly small conditions till each of his moves. Currently in the 5.5ft x20” community tank with eels, catfish, clown loaches and barbs so a very active tank both night and day and he is currently about 14” but been in here since 8”. So I don’t think you would have had a problem moving the dominant one.
Any of the options are going to require you to get them both off live feeds and onto hand feeding so the tote probably sounds more ideal for that once they less skinny. Just remember that any option will need covering some sort otherwise your arro will be on the floor.

 

[andyroo]

Thanks Dave - Bullying rather than simple dominance until ~a foot long: check.

"Active" is Ok so long as there's surface food: check. Seeking spot for baby-roach traps. As space is part of the bullying, might move both to the busy 6' (with floating plants & bamboo) once the bullied is healed & guppy-loaded, but let's see as there will likely be a size difference by then.

Yes, in all cases the water's lowered & tank is covered with glass or plastic wrap (pending new/more glass). Am.eels are arguably better-again escape artists than the aro, though more by grunt-push strength than jumping inertia.

 

[Fishman Dave]

The bullying I have not experienced first hand as never kept two together so others may disagree, just what I have gleaned from talking to shop keepers and owners.
Am still debating moving him to a bigger tank at 14”-15” he just looks too big for the tank but he has a route round the tall bog wood and under the floating fern that he follows and can turn almost on the spot. I just think it will stress him out moving to a bigger tank or even the pond but at feeding time he is jumping 6” out of the water (sliding glass feeding hole) when impatient for food.
Think as long as your water is good you will make good choices and grow him on well in smaller tanks.

 

[Gourami Swami]

What are plans for the future? an already overstocked 100 gal or a 55gal is not really a decent grow-out for these guys. And you have one in a 15 gallon now with guppies and shrimp? Say goodbye to the guppies and shrimp.
I'd say get a 125, that can act as a grow-out for them. they will need 400+ within a couple years, are you prepared for that?

 

[andyroo]

Hi Gourami Swami ,
Agreed.
The guppies/shrimp have always been part of a "live-water" for new stuff, often wild, as glorified QT tank with on-the-hoof grub. IE: I hope you're right re. "say goodbye", as that's the plan. The aro's looking like she's not eaten overnight, though - is mild greenwater going to inhibit hunting? I'd expect not, but thoughts?
The "busy" tank is 6'x14"x24"deep, so should be good until ~10" or so. It's strongly filtered & should be far less busy by September.
The "big" tank is a 240 in-wall currently housing the big silver girl (20" or so). This tank may get a small aro & eels etc., but may also go "non-monster" (tetras, barbs, angels, CL) when BSG moves to her pond end of next month. Negotiations ongoing.

Long-term: BSG to eventually be joined by these two in a 6+ x 12+ rendered concrete pond in the yard, currently completing its cure with starter swordtails, snails, ostracod, bamboo & plants. Can't add small aro for meantime as not sure what the neighbourhood wading birds are thinking. I don't disagree that three 3' adult aro might be a little much for this footprint, even at nearly 6' deep.

 

[Gourami Swami]

6x12 pond sounds solid, and great that you've already built it, so it's not just a pipe dream. Maybe not ideal for 3 full grown silvers, but much better than most of these fish get.
The greenwater will inhibit hunting a bit but the aro will probably still snag most of those small fish. Sounds like you're fine with that. May not bother with the tiny shrimp. I would be more worries about water quality going south with no filter in a 15g with a 4" aro plus others. Live water or no, it's not much water.
If you've got the resources to build a 6x12' pond, I'd think a 125 or 180 used tank wouldn't be that hard to come across. I don't think any of the growout tank options you have now are ideal.

 

[andyroo]

"... I'd think a 125 or 180 used tank wouldn't be that hard to come across."
Jamaica's a small-island developing state. Cement, rebar & mason labour are relatively inexpensive; this pond is a little glorified rain-tank, dolled-up in the render, plumbing & landscaping. It likely cost less than your filter.
By contrast, importing luxury items attracts 100+% duties, so... no. My aquariums are mostly home-made, either built or rebuilt by me. 1/2" glass is eye-wateringly costly & the available silicone is... maybe not entirely trustworthy, thus better to make myself than to contract. I've rebuild my ancient BostonWhaler a couple of times, and that knowledge went into the in-wall - with much help from FishDance.

 

[Gourami Swami]

"... I'd think a 125 or 180 used tank wouldn't be that hard to come across."
Jamaica's a small-island developing state. Cement, rebar & mason labour are relatively inexpensive; this pond is a little glorified rain-tank, dolled-up in the render, plumbing & landscaping. It likely cost less than your filter.
By contrast, importing luxury items attracts 100+% duties, so... no. My aquariums are mostly home-made, either built or rebuilt by me. 1/2" glass is eye-wateringly costly & the available silicone is... maybe not entirely trustworthy, thus better to make myself than to contract. I've rebuild my ancient BostonWhaler a couple of times, and that knowledge went into the in-wall - with much help from FishDance.

I wasn't aware you were in Jamaica. Thats quite interesting, in the states a concrete pond that size would cost easily 20x the amount of the tank.
I guess you've got to make due with what you've got then.